Researchers and advocates of anti-ageing therapies are increasingly focusing on the economic benefits of these treatments. They claim that reducing and potentially reversing old age could yield major cost savings for governments. These costs are mainly related to healthcare and benefits for older people, who make up an ever-growing proportion of our society. Reversing ageing processes could greatly alleviate the pressure on these systems.
The focus on the economic side does not mean that reducing pain and suffering is any less important. Many private investors remain driven primarily by the hope of staying healthy for longer themselves and preventing diseases in old age. At the same time, there is a tension between the innovative, often privately funded research phase and the ambition to make these treatments widely available through public healthcare.
Governments play an important role in the accessibility and funding of medical innovations. Currently, they control a large part of health systems and determine what is reimbursed. Age-reversal therapies could therefore potentially offer a solution not only for personal suffering, but also for the long-term financial stability of these systems.
These developments underline the importance of seeing ageing not only as an individual process, but also as a societal challenge. By investing in slowing down or reversing the effects of growing older, we can not only live healthily for longer, but also reduce the burdens of old age for society.
So, healthy ageing means not only more years, but also a better quality of life and less pressure on society.
Source: Reason
